The stubbornness of the Solis administration to award a highly technical job to a candidate rejected by employers confirms the importance that this specific person would have in the formulation of public tariffs.
Editor's note:
This review was written hours before the now newly appointed General Regulator of Costa Rica gave notice of his resignation from his position at the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).
To fulfill the position of General Comptroller of the Republic the government proposes an official who has worked for more than 20 years in a senior position in the state electricity company.
The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP), has criticized the appointment of Mr. Roberto Jimenez Gomez, who has been a member of staff at the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) for more than 20 years, as a candidate put forward by the Governing Council for the position of Controller General of the Republic.
The Regulatory Authority for Public Services will present a proposal to reduce the subsidy that companies give to the residential rate.
From a press release issued by the Regulatory Authority for Public Services:
The Regulatory Authority for Public Services will present at a public audience two proposed reductions in rates of drinking water, for non-subsidized services.
The subsidy for residential rates and the pricing scheme used by the government generates high electricity costs for the industrial sector.
The price of energy in El Salvador remains one of the highest in the region, especially for the industrial and commercial sector. The subsidy for the residential rate and the pricing scheme used by the Government cause the cost of electricity to be high, taking away competitivity from both sectors.
Business associations say the country needs a comprehensive law that allows greater participation and competitiveness of private generators.
The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector (UCCAEP) predicts sharp increases in electricity rates, and points to inefficiency in the management of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), as the monopoly responsible for satisfying the country's demand for electricity.